Electric block-signal system.



P. J. SIMMEN. ELEGTRIG BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1908.

WITNESSES; INVENTQR,

A TTORNE Y.

Patnted Jan. 26, 1909.

PAUL J.- snnmu; 01F" 'L'O'S ANGEIJES, CALIFORNIA,

Specification of Lettem-Patentf;

nme'mrc B'LGEIQ-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

PatentedJtn. as; 1909:

To. all whom di may concem:

Be. it known that -I', zen of the United States, residing at Los-A'nv geles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of alifornia, have invented new-and useful Improvements in ElectricBlock -signal Systems;

of-which the following .is a specification,

The present. invention is an. improvement upon that for which U. S. Letters Patentwere;

granted tome May 1st, 1906, No.- 819,677,

and-its objects-are, first, toprovide means be kept .of.;the:-signals whereby a-record may furhished' by the block systemv there shown, thus fixing the responsibility on the: engineer in case of accident causedby neglechofsaid! signals, second, to provide means-.for indicat'-- ing to the engineer of a movingtrain orzcar. any fault or breakin the system, thus :preparing him for azfailure of the system=to give the proper signal, and third, to provide meansrfor recording the operations-of'the. controllerrand air brake of the train or car, and thusfurm'sha, check upon careless andwasteful drivingiof the same.

In the accompanyingdrawing, Fi rerl isadiagram of the circuitsrin. the cab; Pig, 20f those on the track.

Referring to the drawing, 1. indicates-am electrically-continuous rail of a: track, the

other rail beingdivided into sectionsZ, .eleo

tricallyseparated from each'other. At: the: side of the track, and opposite to the end of. each such section 2, are arranged parallel contact rails 4, 5, 6, three being here shown, al though there may beany desired. number'in. each group. These rails-4 5, 6, are connected by Wires 7, 8, 9, res ectively, with the sues-- cessive sections 2 in a vance. With said rails-.- 4, 5, 6, respectively, contact, as the train passes, shoes or other contact makers 10, 11, 12,.connected respectively by wires:13, 14, 15,

withsignaling devices16, 17, 18, which, in the manner described in said LettersPatent, are actuated when a train is onwthev track one, two, or three blocks ahead.

In the presentinvention, in addition to the signaling devices, the circuits ass.;through electromagnets 19, 20, 21, Whic when ener-- gized, mark, by mechanism-common for this: purpose, a recording sheet 22, on a rollerre volved by a time-controlledmechanism 23; Thus, should at any time a train be on-the track one, two or three blocks ahead, the fact 1s permanently recorded, and in case oftheenr- PAUL J. SIMMEN', aciti provided. circuits 34, 35, whic giineer-ormotor-man leetinggthe signatsaidi record fixes theresp ris ibilitupon him,

With theoonstruction disc osed in said Lettens: Batenhtshould. a wire: from one of the: contaeh rails: tothe track. section becomer broken,

or should the-electzie circuit be accidentally. disoormectedin an way, the signalingdevioes-would'znmtiaetrw en a-train waaon; the propeirsections ofthe track: to. cause them: to 3'01?!- Tr'nprovide: for this? contingency, I now! conneeh-a: wire: 26, preferably with the: wire'1l5 *correspondingzwith the section in the stemdmthest ahead, whieh'wire 26 passess t rongha signalmg' device--27 andelectrom nets': 28, similara to those already provid d, andthence bya wire-29 to a shoeon othercom tact-maker. 30-adapted to contact-with va test-- contacterail .31 between the "rails :of-rthe track, same -.rail being connected bya wire-32 with that section 2, which is: also connected with: the rail 6: Thecircu-itds then closed'w hen the: shoe 3Q arrives at the *rail 31 and givesaisig= n'al, providing that the main. signaling. oon-+ nections; including. wires-7, 8, 9 arev all intact; If the engineer receives no signal atthe-de vice 27-, herknowsthatthe system isout-of order, and must there take proper precautions: to prevent collisions without the assistanceoftheblocksystem,

In .city and. suburbanielectric lines great waste of ower. occursthroughcareless. op-- eration o the motorssand -air. brakes by-rear son of. the motorman using his brake. tocheok-the car: instead of reducin .the cur'r rent. To furnisha check upont e actionsof the motorman inthis: res set, there; are. pass through 1 electromagnets-36, 37, which, in likemanner: with those. already described, mark on the re cording sheet: when :these circuits: are'olosed, the: operations-oi .thecontroller 38 and; the? air: brake handle 39 respectively, thus fur m'shing a permanent record .of the mannerrin" which the. car is driven at each trip- I- have herein: shown the system as in? stalled forf trains runninginone direction only on a-pair of rails. It will readily be: seen that the. system .needsonly to be dupli, cated, that-is, each-contact rail andiwire-re peatedfor the other rail and the conductors connected across the track" to theblocks or sectionsof the divided rail in orderto extend the system for trains running in both directrons: Such F a duplication; is 'seenby com ing to the res main signaling parison of Figs. 1 and 2 of U. S. Patent granted to me May 1st, 1906, No. 819,677.

As in .my prior atent' referred to, the word rail in the c aims is to be understood in its broad sense.

- I claim:-

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a moving train or car, of a series of signaling devices, and a series of recording devices, correspondective signaling devices, all

carried by sai train or car, and a series of mechanisms, arranged at successive points in the track, for individually actuating simultaneously said signaling and recording devices, substantially as described.

2. In an electrical block signal system for railways, the combination of an electrically continuous rail of a track, electrically insulated sections of the other rail of a contact rail arranged adjacent to each such section at a convenient point therefor, an electrical connection between said contact rail and a section in advance of the adjacent section, a contact maker, a signaling device, and a circuit through the signaling device, and the wheel axle, all carried by the moving train or car, means for supplying electricity to said circuit, a test signaling device carried by the moving train or car, and means for actuating said test signaling device, automatically operated by the passage of the train or car only when the circuit from the main contact rail to the device is intact, substantially as described. I

3. In an electrical block signal system for railways, the combination of an electrically continuous rail, of a track, electrically insulated sections of the other rail, a group of contact rails arranged adjacent to each such section at a convenient point therefor, electrical connections between the members of the group and successive sections in advance of the adjacent section, corresponding contact makers, signaling devices, and circuits through the signalin devices and the wheel axle, all carried by tie moving train or car, and means for actuating said test signaling device, automatically operated by the passage of the train or car only when the circuit from the main contact rail and one of the main signaling devices is intact, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical block signal system for railways, the combination of an electrically continuous rail of a track, electricallyinsulated sections of the other rail a group of contact rails arranged adjacent to each such section at a convenient point therefor, an electrical connection between said contact rail and a section in advance of the adjacent section,.a contact maker, a signaling device and a circuit throu h the signaling device to the Wheel axle, a carried by the moving train or car, means for supplying electricity to said circuit, a test contact rail adjacent to the rear section, a wire leading therefrom to the section in advance, a test contact maker carried by the train or car and adapted to contact with said test contact rail, a wire from said contact maker to the circuit of the signaling device, and a test signaling device in said Wire, substantially as described.

5. In an electrical block-signal system for railways, the combination of an electrically- -continuous rail of a track, electricallyinsulated sectionsof the other rail, a grou of contact rails arranged adjacent to each such section at a convenient point therefor, electrical connections between the members of said groups and the successive sections in advance of the adjacent section, corresponding contact makers, signaling devices, and circuits through the signaling devices to the Wheel axle, all carried by the moving train or car, means for supplying electricity to said circuits, a test contact rail adjacent to the rear section, a wire leading therefrom to a section in advance, a contact maker carried by thetrain or car, and adapted to contact with said test contact rail, a Wire from said contact maker to the corresponding circuit to the signaling device, and a test signaling device in said wire, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a movable train or car, mechanism adapted to be actuated by an operator on the train or car for controlling the movement thereof, a signaling device, mechanism for controlling said signaling device, a unitary recording device, and means forautomatically recording thereon the actuation of each of said mechanisms, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a movable train or car, mechanism adapted to be actuated by an operator on the train or car for controlling the movement thereof, a signaling device, stationary mechanism for controlling said signaling device, a unitary recording device, and means for automatically recording thereon the actuation of each of said mechanisms, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a movable train orcar, mechanism adapted to be actuated by an operator on the train or car for controlling the movement thereof, a signal- 9. In an apfiaratps of the character described, in com matlon with a movable train mechanism adapted to be actuated by an operator on the tram or car for con trolimg the movement thereof, a signaling device, stationary mechanism for controlimg said signaling device, a unitary record the actuation of each of substantially as described.

In testimony whereof my hand in wltnesses.

Witnesses H. 0. Ho

the presenc v URLEY.

. &

said mechanisms, 10

I have hereunto set e of two subscribing PAUL J. snmEN.

UGETQN, 

